Oliver Dabrushka
by Rose9
Summary: A new mysterious man has arriver at court. He is a foreigner who speaks like a Tortallan. He is a warrior with many secrets and he is on a quest, for good or evil nobody knows.


Oliver sat on his horse surveying the country before him. He had never been to Corus before but he had heard a lot about it from his brief rests in the many different lands in which he had travelled. The city stood basking in the sun giving of a golden haze.  
  
Oliver stretched his huge body in the saddle and nudged his horse into a swinging walk moving in time to the rocking of the saddle. He reached the outskirts of the markets with in no time and he stopped his horse in the shade of an overgrown ivy shrub. Surveying the shoppers with a wary eye, Oliver noticed a group of young knights walking merrily through the crowds laughing at each other's jokes and actions.  
  
When the knights left the busy markets Oliver turned his horse and followed them, glancing left and right to make sure nobody was following him. Reaching the entrance of the palace Oliver noticed many people watching him with obvious interest. Oliver merely sighed and continued on his way within a minute a burly guard walked over from his guardroom at one of the various gates.  
  
He said in heavily accented Yamani "Are you Oliver Dabrushka?"  
  
"Yes" Oliver answered back in flawless common.  
  
"Oh," the guard said in astonishment "The King has asked for you to be directed to your quarters and that you be informed that there is a ball tonight."  
  
"Would you please tell your highness I may not be able to attend the ball tonight for I was rather held up on my trip and I have a lot of work to attend to."  
  
"I will try to speak to his highness but he may not be as understanding as I am."  
  
"I thankyou for your help, I need to put my horse and luggage away and I was wondering if you could show me the way," said Oliver.  
  
"Do not worry about that the servants will put your horse away and take your luggage to your room, I will get a squire to lead you to your rooms," replied the guard.  
  
As Oliver followed the squire through the labyrinth of halls, rooms and corridors, he was thinking about his trip from his homeland in the Yamani Islands to the land of Tortall.  
  
****************************  
  
His tanned almost black skin was trademark of the Shucka warrior tribe, the most feared warriors in the world, some people even believe they are better than the best Shang fighters. Oliver was a trained warrior. His well muscled body was obvious through the loose tunic and breeches that he wore. Oliver's face was blank and unsmiling, his stormy black eyes looked as though they were flecked with silver lightening much like his hair, which was short, black, spiky and also flecked with silver.  
  
***************************** When Oliver entered his rooms he immediately noticed that the flight, which had led him to Tortall, had finally taken the toll on him. Also, the wounds in which he had received had leeched away his magic. He walked over to the desk in the corner of the room and sat down, he was hoping to write some letters to his family explaining his hasty departure. But as he looked for a quill he realised to late that exhaustion was taking over his body. He fell forward onto the desk knocking over the ink and quill and before the ink started to spread, he was unconscious.  
  
******************************  
  
King Jonathan of Conte sat in his personal study thinking about the latest member of court. He had not heard much about this mysterious man all he knew was that Oliver Dabrushka was a fully trained warrior and that he had a very strong gift, Numair Salmalin said that he had felt his magic from miles away. Another interesting factor was that Daine had heard from the People that this man also wild magic.  
  
What Jonathan could not understand was why the Yamani government had not found this man and trained him to be a warrior mage. He had asked Roald to ask Lady Shinko whether she had heard of this man but she had not had the slightest inkling of who he might be.  
  
A knock on the door startled Jonathan out of his thoughts. As the door opened to reveal Queen Thayet, Jonathan looked up. "Jon do hurry up, we don't want to be late for the ball tonight. Plus I want to meet the man behind the latest court gossip." "Ok I will meet you at your rooms in a minute."  
  
******************************** Later that evening.......  
  
"Jon is this man coming or not?" questioned Thayet. " I hope so but he may just be late, I will send a squire to look for him. While we wait would you like a dance."  
  
As the dance finished the King and Queen walked back to their dais, as they sat down on their thrones the squire quickly walked up to the them.  
  
"Your Highness, I have been to the mans room and knocked but he did not answer. I pushed the door open and I found the man collapsed on his writing desk, I sent for Duke Baird."  
  
"Well done Squire, you are dismissed," said the King as he stood up from his throne and headed towards one of the exits of the room. He quickened his pace as Thayet caught up with him. Jon pushed open the double doors leading into the hospital wing. He noticed that Numair and Daine were already at the bedside of the sick man. He sent them a questioning look and asked Duke Baird "What is wrong with him is he wounded, sick or what?"  
  
"I'm afraid it is bad your highness, he is suffering from exhaustion, he has recently received wounds to the arm and legs which have become infected and also something is leeching away his gifts wild and normal. I have Daine and Numair here to look after the problems with his gifts."  
  
Just then, a cloud of black magic erupted from Oliver's hands forming a flickering screen above his head. As Numair moved to banish the screen Jonathan stopped him for silver shapes were starting to form within the blackness. Before their eyes an ambush attack formed. It was obvious now that these images were Oliver's memories for as arrows started to fly Oliver jumped his horse through the on coming line of bandits. Wielding a sword of great length Oliver set about fighting his way out of the ambush. As the battle was about to end another memory came into view.  
  
This memory was so gruesome the onlookers had to look away for there in bright silver was......... 


End file.
